Birmingham woman found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for hire

By John Drennan of Jaffe & Drennan, P.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Monday, March 5, 2012.

When someone is charged with a crime, a great deal is at stake. If convicted, they could spend years behind bars. One Birmingham woman will learn her fate later this spring after a federal jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

According to prosecutors, the 64-year-old woman helped her daughter plot her ex-son-in-law's murder by providing her with a pill that would be used among other medications to drug him.

The woman and her daughter were arrested in 2009. The arrest came after the woman's daughter approached a man to use the mixture of pills to kill her ex-husband. The man turned out to be an undercover agent with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

The woman's daughter already pled guilty to conspiracy charges. She allegedly told authorities that both she and her mother wanted her former husband dead in order for her to gain custody of her two children.

The 64-year-old woman continues to maintain her innocence. However, it took the federal jury in Birmingham less than an hour to find her guilty.

This case is a reminder that even those who are charged with a serious crime have rights. Everyone has the right to a strong defense and a fair trial. Although it did not turn out in the woman's favor, she was given the chance to tell her side of the story.

Residents in Birmingham who face federal charges would be wise to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney. An attorney can investigate a case, negotiate with prosecutors and prepare an aggressive defense against the charges.

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Jaffe & Drennan, P.C., represents clients in Hoover, Bessemer, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Trussville, Homewood, Fairfield, Huntsville, Pelham, Alabaster, Tarrant, Argo Calera, Montgomery, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Winston County, Cullman County, Blount County, St. Clair County, Talladega County, Bibb County, Tuscaloosa County, Chilton County, Fayette County, Etowah County, Calhoun County, Madison County, Montgomery County, Lee County and throughout Alabama.